Steve Penfold FRSPH FCMI

So a Tory former PM criticises the cuts to UK aid while those noted development champions Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, as far as I can tell, have been utterly silent on the subject. Brown was very happy to do it when it was a Tory government doing the cutting. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Every single day. on.ft.com/409SaZx

This is how my (our) taxes were spent in 🇬🇧 last year.

Only 70p in every £100 went on “overseas aid” … which was before the funding reduction announced earlier this year.

Prior to culling #USAID, the US spent 1% of the federal budget on #internationaldevelopment.

Rounding errors.

Yet vital.

The only people this benefits are Putin and Xi

We found that AI tools - both general like #ChatGPT and research-specific like #Elicit - lack the reliability, relevancy and accuracy to summarise research for teachers. This is important because we have been sold the idea that AI will make research more accessible.

Today, I’m joining @prostatecanceruk.bsky.social & men across the whole of the UK - to share a potentially lifesaving message⤵️

You don’t need a finger up the bum to test for prostate cancer. In fact, the first step is a simple blood test you can get free from your GP

Hero.

Fascism

Still important years after “COVID is over”.

New Gates-backed fund targets maternal and newborn health in Africa New Gates-backed fund targets maternal and newborn health in Africa

The fund is backed mainly by philanthropy, at a time of declining donor government foreign aid budgets.

Here is the @thekingsfund.bsky.social analysis of UK healthcare spending compared to other countries

If you spend less than peer nations, you will have poorer health outcomes, fewer doctors, fewer scanners, fewer hospital beds etc

I agree with the Lancet.

As a GP, I am not allowed to receive a pen or post-it note pad from a pharmaceutical company rep

The Government banned them in case I was influenced to prescribe a certain medication

This should also be banned @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social unless you have a way to justify this?

Implement a 100% tariff and ruin a movie

Pretty Women

Implement a 100% tariff and ruin a movie

From Russia with Lots of Love

#USAID was the largest bilateral donor to the #TB response, contributing 19% of international donor funding in 2022. We estimate that the elimination of #USAID funding may lead to 1,390,900 million additional episodes of symptomatic TB and 420,500 TB deaths over the next 10 years. 2/8

ChaRM is a point of care device to measure respiratory rate. Please pass this message to at least one global health partner!

“Together, we saved countless lives, prevented infections and raised the quality of care and nutrition for millions.

Thanks & au revoir.”

“Thank you for the opportunity of working with such amazing, dedicated, knowledgeable, committed, diplomatic, and professional individuals along the way, who are far too numerous to name”.

“That was creative thinking and efficient use of resources.

“Because of USAID in the #Kyrgyz Republic, I was able to provide support to get their pandemic preparedness program off the ground, and then return last year to assist in finding ways of using HIV and #TB labs, & expertise funded by USAID, to be part of the pandemic preparedness program development.

“Because of USAID in #Haiti, I was able to initiate the process to release emergency funding for an anthrax outbreak, in conjunction with HQ folks and through #PAHO. I also took the lead on a pandemic preparedness program development, to improve detection of potential epidemics starting in animals.”

(That team was so inspiring, and for months on end were unable to even reach the Embassy due to fighting and kidnappings, yet they persevered, so they could improve their lives of the fellow Haitians. Wow. Just wow.)”

“That was due to be agreed the week of the inauguration in January and was one of the first casualties of these cuts.

Having learned valuable lessons, I redesigned that with the USAID Health Office, for the next five years to ensure Haitians’ #nutrition improved without the public needing to do anything.

“Because of USAID in #Haiti, I oversaw the evaluation of a 5 year program that supported the large scale fortification of foods (oil, wheat and flour).

“Working 6 and sometimes 7 days a week during the #pandemic meant my analysis was able to accurately inform the Jordanian government of when a wave had peaked and when pressure on hospitals would ease.”

“Because of USAID in #Jordan, I was involved at the outset, once again with incredible local staff, in working with the government to introduce a huge program for Continuing Professional Development as part of mandatory relicencing for 169,000 healthcare professionals.

“Because of USAID in #Afghanistan, I designed - in conjunction with amazing Afghan counterparts - a huge new urban health program, to continue to reduce #maternal, #infant and #child mortality.”